Your carpets and rugs are more than just padding for your feet – they’re important parts of your home’s look and feel. They’re also an investment and you want that investment to stand the test of time. Regularly cleaning carpets and rugs will help ensure they look great for years to come, but sometimes something as benign as sunlight might be a threat. How do you prevent sun fading?
Block Sunlight When Possible
Perhaps the easiest tip to implement is to simply block sunlight when possible. Understand that it’s not ambient light that fades your carpets and rugs, but direct sunlight. If you have blinds, keep them closed most of the day. If you have drapes, pull them closed when you’re not home. The less direct sunlight your carpeting receives, the less it will fade.
Rotate Rugs Twice Annually
If you have rugs in a room that receive sunlight on just a portion of the fibers each day, it’s important to rotate them throughout the year. Generally, turning them twice per year is all that’s necessary. Note that this will not prevent fading, but it will keep fading even across the entire rug.
Add UV Protectant Film to Windows
It’s not the actual sunlight that fades your carpeting and rugs, but UV light that you cannot actually see. If you want to allow all that glorious light into your home without fading your carpet, you can do this pretty easily by adding UV protectant film to your windows. This film is easy to apply, and will block most of the UV rays responsible for carpet fading, extending their lifespan by a significant margin.
Layer Rugs Over Carpeting
If you’re concerned about your carpets fading, you can invest in some cheap rugs and then layer them over the carpeting in areas where direct sunlight is a problem. Just a minor investment here could extend the life of your wall-to-wall carpeting by a very long time. Plus, if you can also manage to place the rugs under furniture, you also help to avoid wear and tear, as well as related damage.
Tactical Placement
Finally, consider being tactical about how you place your rugs. This tip is of particular importance to those with hard-surface floors who are using rugs to provide padding and comfort, as well as an aesthetic touch.
Know the sun exposure of each area of the room, and place your rugs so that they’re out of reach of those damaging rays. Note that this may require you to rethink how you use the room, or how you have your furnishings placed, but it will ultimately help you avoid sun fading on your rugs.
As you can see, there are plenty of different ways to help avoid sun fading on rugs and carpeting. Take a look at your room, identify the most effective option for your situation, and then implement it. Just a small amount of effort here can have major results.
